Join the Spark Team

We were born of innovation, springing from the curiosity, imagination and dedication of remarkable scientists and healthcare visionaries. Our shared mission is to unlock the power of gene therapy to accelerate healthcare transformation.

We don’t follow footsteps. We create the path.

Primary Duties

The Legal Contracts Manager will draft, review, and negotiate standard and non-standard contractual terms and conditions and related documents. Utilizing independent judgment and discretion, the role is responsible for end-to-end contracting, collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders, delivering relevant trainings, and partnering with attorneys in Spark’s Legal Department to support business contracting needs. The Legal Contracts Manager is also a primary contributor to process improvement efforts related to contracting at Spark.

Responsibilities

• Independently draft, review, and negotiate a variety of high-complexity agreements, including nondisclosure, master and stand-alone service, and consulting agreements, using both company templates and third-party paper, and exercise discretion and judgment to apply creative solutions to non-standard issues
• Collaborate with business stakeholders to understand the full scope of internal service needs and advise on appropriate contracting approach
• Identify and mitigate potential legal risks using practical, creative solutions
• Complete tasks and projects swiftly with little guidance, and prioritize workload to enable the ability to react with appropriate urgency to situations requiring quick response
• Ensure and educate stakeholders on compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and company policies and procedures
• Partner with attorneys in Spark’s Legal Department provide comprehensive and consistent service to multiple business functions with unique contracting goals and needs, and drive effective communication to keep all stakeholders informed and involved in the contracting process
• Adhere and contribute to the maintenance and improvement of contract management processes, including effective triaging at intake, accurate status tracking, timely reviews, and storage of executed copies
• Serve as a primary contributor to the development, updating, and maintenance of contract templates and playbooks
• Serve as a primary contributor to contract process improvement initiatives to streamline and improve customer experiences
• Act as a resource for business stakeholders related to the contracting process and contract lifecycle management
• Identify the need for, assist in developing, and deliver trainings on legal requirements to business stakeholders
• Serve as a role model for best practices in contract negotiations, processes, and customer service
• Other duties and special projects as assigned
  
  
  

Education And Experience Requirements

• Juris Doctor (JD) or JD equivalent required
• 10+ years of relevant contracts administration experience required, including extensive demonstrated ability to manage contract negotiations
• 5+ years pharmaceutical or life sciences industry experience required
• Expertise in holistically analyzing and interpreting complex contracts
• Demonstrated knowledge of legal principles, best practices, and procedures as they relate to contracts
• Experience in advising and training internal clients on contract processes and terms and conditions
  
  
  

Key Skills, Abilities, And Competencies

• Highly skilled in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a wide variety of complex agreements
• Possesses one or more areas of specialized knowledge with respect to pharma/life sciences contract types (e.g., research, clinical, facilities/real estate, IT, etc.)
• Skilled in interpreting and communicating to others the meaning and practical impact of complex contract language and concepts
• Proactive, flexible, and proficient in working effectively and independently in an environment of rapidly changing demands
• Client-focused with a practical solution-focused mindset, able to weigh business needs and legal risks to offer creative and efficient solutions
• Skilled in time management and organization, and able to prioritize and manage a varied, high-volume workload
• Strong critical thinker and executor, with excellent attention to detail
• Excellent customer service skills, client-oriented with a professional demeanor, and able to work effectively with internal clients to understand their various needs and efficiently support contract development and execution
• Able to handle confidential information and situations with care
• Able to identify matters requiring escalation to attorneys and business stakeholders, and to collaborate cross-functionally to resolve issues
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office and contract management software
• Comfortable learning new technologies and software, including self-directed learning
  
  
  

Complexity and Problem Solving

Independently works on tasks that are moderately to highly complex in nature where autonomous judgment is regularly required to make recommendations and resolve issues.

The Legal Contracts Manager must effectively communicate with stakeholders to fully understand each contracting need and related business goals. They will use this information to determine the best contract structure and required language specific to each situation. They must be able to identify and resolve issues with contract processes and templates during negotiations, and understand when to escalate for assistance, further review, or informative purposes. The Legal Contracts Manager must possess a comprehensive working knowledge of how the parts of a contract work together, and employ a strong attention to detail to ensure that every document is complete, accurate, compliant, and in line with Spark’s business needs prior to sending the final copy to the stakeholder for execution.

Internal and External Contacts

Internal Contacts:

• Members of the Spark Legal & Compliance function
• Spark business owners of agreements for assigned departments
• Spark contract management system users
• Procurement, IT, Finance
  
  
  

External Contacts:

• Third parties with whom Spark conducts business
• Members of Roche affiliate legal organizations and business units
  
  
  

Spark takes into consideration a combination of candidate’s education, training, and experience as well as the position’s scope and complexity, the discretion and latitude required in the role, and external market and internal value when determining a salary for potential new employees. The base salary range for this position is currently from $124,100 to $186,100

Spark Therapeutics does not accept unsolicited resumes/candidate profiles from any source other than directly from candidates. Any unsolicited resume/candidate profile submitted through our website or to personal email accounts of employees of Spark Therapeutics are considered property of Spark Therapeutics and are not subject to payment of agency fees.